Shona says nothing because it's her brother who answers

"Joy?" a deep, masculine voice says. Definitely not Shona! "Is that you...?"

Before he can say another word you hang up, slamming the phone onto the bed. You stare down at it in betrayal, as if it had somehow betrayed you. How much of that did he hear? How much did he understand? Did he snatch the phone from Shona at the end?

The phone rings, making you jump. For a long moment you stare at it lying face-down on the bed, then reluctantly you flip it over. Shona's name is written across the screen.

Gulping you hesitate, wondering if it's her or her brother, and before you can make up your mind the ringing stops.

"Thank God," you gasp in relief, the decision made for you. Then the phone rings again, and before you can stop yourself you automatically click connect.

"Joy?" Shona's brother says, and you tap disconnect, the phone bouncing off the bed from the **** of your stabbing finger.

"Oh God," you moan, flopping back on the bed and staring at the ceiling. He'd tell everyone. The entire school, the entire town. Even your parents. Everyone would know and sneer at you as you went past. It was too late to save yourself from your mistake, you'd just made an even bigger one.

A chirping comes from the cell at your feet, making you wince. But the sound is for texting, not a phone, so you reluctantly sit up and stare down at the small device lying on the floor. It seems to take forever but you lean over and pick it up, staring at the message upon its screen as you straighten.